Line #164 VideoGame/HarryPotter


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/game.bmp]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250: And so Creator/ElectronicArts branches out into magic.]]
3
4	->''"There was nothing about the starry sky that night to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening. As unsuspecting Muggles slept, a huge motorbike with a giant astride it tumbled down from the darkness. The giant, named Hagrid, left a blanket-wrapped bundle on the doorstep of number four Privet Drive. Nestled in the bundle was a baby... Harry Potter... The Boy Who Lived."''
5	-->-- '''Opening narration''' of ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' (PC, [=PS1,=] and GBA versions)
6
7	Creator/WarnerBros didn't stop at turning the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books into [[Film/HarryPotter a series of movies]]. They also adapted the series to video games, originally via movie tie-in games developed by Creator/ElectronicArts.
8
9	The earliest ''Harry Potter'' games were realized as typical ActionAdventure games with the usual tropes of InexplicableTreasureChests, RewardingVandalism, BottomlessPits, FloatingPlatforms, and so forth. Almost exclusively playing as Harry, you learn spells from the teachers to get through the MalevolentArchitecture of Hogwarts and win {{Boss Battle}}s. Along the way, you collect goodies -- mainly Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and collectible wizard cards -- while vaguely drifting through the canon storyline. Rather cartoony animation and cheesy voice acting also figured in.
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11	As the EA ''Potter'' games went along, the graphics became more photo-realistic until they reached the point where they started using digital scans of the actors. Hogwarts as well gradually evolved from not particularly looking anything like the castle of the films to being a seamless duplication of it. Some of the actors from the movies, mostly the cheaper ones (though Creator/RalphFiennes is a notable exception), were eventually brought in to voice their characters for the games. Out of the central trio, Creator/RupertGrint has voiced his character for the games, but Creator/DanielRadcliffe and Creator/EmmaWatson have not. The format also changed into more of a WideOpenSandbox with various {{Mini Game}}s such as dueling other students, playing Quidditch, and brewing potions. Finally, the ''[[VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' games (two to go with the two movies) shifted the gameplay into more of a ThirdPersonShooter.
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13	After Warners had smashing success developing video games based on some of their other IP in-house (including ''[[VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''Franchise/{{Batman\|ArkhamSeries}}'') throughout the 2010s, they decided to stop licensing. In 2012 and 2013, they released two AugmentedReality games that use the Platform/PlayStation3's ''Wonderbook'' peripheral. In 2017, they created a subsidiary called Creator/PortkeyGames solely dedicated to this franchise. These games are considered non-canon. Its projects include [[MobilePhoneGame mobile games]] like ''VideoGame/HarryPotterHogwartsMystery'' and an open world RPG called ''VideoGame/HogwartsLegacy''.
14	----
15	!!Video games based on ''Harry Potter'':
16	* Creator/ElectronicArts games[[index]]
17	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' (2001)
18	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' (2002)
19	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterQuidditchWorldCup'' (2003)
20	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' (2004)
21	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'' (2005)
22	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' (2007)
23	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' (2009)
24	** ''[[VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2]]'' (2010, 2011)
25	* [[/index]]Franchise/{{LEGO}} games[[index]]
26	** ''VideoGame/LEGOCreator: Harry Potter'' (2001, 2002)
27	** ''VideoGame/LEGOHarryPotter'' (2010, 2011), a duology of VideoGame/{{LEGO Adaptation Game}}s.
28	** ''VideoGame/LEGODimensions'' (2015), a MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover featuring characters and content from both ''Harry Potter'' and ''Film/FantasticBeasts''.
29	* ''Harry Potter for Kinect'' (2012)
30	* ''Wonderbook'' games
31	** ''Book of Spells'' (2012)
32	** ''Book of Potions'' (2013)[[/index]]
33	* Creator/PortkeyGames[[index]]
34	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterHogwartsMystery'' (2018), a {{mobile\|PhoneGame}} RolePlayingGame set in 1984[[note]]Charlie, born in December 1972, is sorted in 1984 along with Tonks. Both appear at the Player's sorting. Also, Bill Weasley, born in December 1970, mentions in the 1984 - 1985 school year that he wants to be a Prefect next year, meaning he's a fourth year student.[[/note]] -1991.
35	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterWizardsUnite'' (2019), an augmented reality game for mobile devices.
36	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterPuzzlesAndSpells'' (2020), [[/index]]a MatchThreeGame.[[index]]
37	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterMagicAwakened'' (2021)
38	** ''VideoGame/HogwartsLegacy'' (2023), the subsidiary's first feature length project. It is an [[WideOpenSandbox open-world]] ActionRPG set in the late 19th century.
39	[[/index]]
40	----
41	!!Tropes that apply to the video games in general:
42
43	* HundredPercentCompletion: You can take time to collect all the "wizard cards" and other goodies or not. But you ''[[PermanentlyMissableContent really]]'' want to take your time in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' and the PC version of ''Philosopher's Stone''.
44	* AdaptationDyeJob: Professor Sprout is a redhead in the Game Boy Color games instead of having gray hair. Zig-zagged with Harry; earlier games retained his green eyes from the books, but in later games which use digital scans of the film actors, he has Creator/DanielRadcliffe's blue eyes. His hair is also dark brown rather than black in some games.
45	* AirborneMook: Frequent in the games set in Hogwarts. The dragonfly-like Billywigs, blue and extremely annoying fairies, books that drift out of their bookshelves to bite you, etc.
46	* AllInARow: Ron and Hermione trail after Harry in some of the games.
47	* ArtEvolution: Compare the [[https://image.jeuxvideo.com/images/pc/h/a/hapopc003.jpg cartoony look of the early games]] to the [[https://robgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-gameplay-Image-2.jpg realistic look of the latter games]].
48	* AttackReflector: The ''"Expelliarmus!"'' spell fulfills this function in the dueling portions in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and the games that followed, instead of its canonical role as the disarming spell (and despite still being referred to as such in those instances). Eventually has Protego take its place proper as of the fifth game.
49	* BanditMook: In the earlier games, gnomes will steal your Bertie Bott's Beans. In the first game, they are gone for good, but in the second game, you can get your beans back by defeating the gnomes which took them.
50	* BonusStage: The Bean Bonus Room in the second and third PC game. You got to collect tons of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavored Beans under a time limit.
51	* BrickJoke: In the first Platform/GameBoyColor game, Harry trips on his way into the Gringotts dungeons, separating him from Griphook and Hagrid. In the second game, the same thing happens, and he says "They should make the floors more even in here. I trip every time I visit."
52	* CameraLockOn: Present in the [=PS2=][=/=][=GameCube=][=/=]Xbox versions of the first three games.
53	* ChaosArchitecture: You think the movies were bad about keeping the layout of Hogwarts consistent? Well, the games are worse. The earlier ones went so far as to have different platforms for the same game each include a completely different version of Hogwarts. The fifth game adopts the movie version of Hogwarts, attempting to smooth over the films' GeographicFlexibility. The sixth game reuses the Hogwarts of the fifth game with some areas added and others removed.
54	* DeusExMachina: The games differ on how they adapt the traditional year-end "200 points from Dumbledore for being the main characters" bit. Some of them [[AvertedTrope calculate the scores fairly]], and if the last-minute points aren't enough to win the Cup, then you don't win the Cup. Others [[ExaggeratedTrope rig the scores so that Gryffindor is guaranteed to be in last place before Dumbledore steps in, and in first afterward]].
55	** And then there is the [=PS2=] version of Philosopher's Stone, in which, instead of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville earning a total of 170 points, Dumbledore awards Harry, Ron and Hermione 10 points each. [[DudeWheresMyRespect 10 points for defeating Voldemort himself. Thanks, Dumbledore.]]
56	* GameplayRoulette: So much every character needs to remind you how to play after every cutscene.
57	* GenreShift: The first four games are action adventure games, with the first three leaning more towards adventure and the fourth leaning more towards action. Five and six are wide-open sandboxes, while seven and eight are third-person shooters.
58	* GoombaStomp: In at least the PC versions, the way the game is designed allows you to do this to almost any NPC, although it doesn't affect them and merely makes Harry bounce off their heads. Repeatedly, if you're skilled enough.
59	* HealingPotion: Wiggenweld appears in various games, serving as one of these. Like some other potions such as Love Potion, how you make it depends on the game.
60	* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: Characters, especially the teachers in the earlier games, are always telling Harry which keys to press and so forth. You can't help but think of how completely nonsensical that would be in-universe.
61	* HurricaneOfPuns: The Platform/GameBoyColor games, being much more humorous than the others, contain a lot of puns.
62	* HyperactiveMetabolism: Harry and other characters can heal by eating chocolate frogs. In some games, Cauldron Cakes will also give minor healing.
63	* InexplicableTreasureChests: Found in nearly all games set in Hogwarts.
64	* InsecurityCamera: The suits of armor fulfill this function in the games. Their vision takes place of a highly visible cone, which is rather wide, buts moves around very slowly, giving ample time to sneak.
65	* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: In most of the games from earliest to latest ones. Though in the first two games, at least for the PC, [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential you can climb to the top of the grand staircase and jump off, more often than not killing Harry]]. This was fixed in the third one.
66	* ItsUpToYou:
67	** Ron and Hermione like to essentially say "You handle this, Harry -- I'll do something inconsequential".
68	** The early games would have Harry (joined by Ron and Hermione in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'') be sent by his teachers into a large, elaborate Zelda-esque dungeon for the sole purpose of testing out a new spell, while the rest of the students sit back and relax in the classroom (although the second and third games do imply that other students get to attempt these challenges at some point).
69	* KleptomaniacHero: Harry and co. in all games, collecting every Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, collector card, etc. that is loose. You can even steal beans from Dumbledore's office or grab a wizard card ''straight from some unlucky Gryffindor's chest!'' Taken to extreme with Ron in the third home console game, where he can find false walls as well as extract hidden beans and other valuables from bookcases. The game has several rooms practically lined with bookcases. You do the math.
70	* LipLock: It's really bad in the earlier games to the point that at times it was pretty clear they animated the mouths without knowing what the dialogue was at all.
71	* MagicSkirt: If you cast ''Levicorpus'' on a female student, she turns upside down in the air, with her skirt remaining down (up?) to protect her {{NPC}} dignity.
72	* MalevolentArchitecture: Hogwarts already had a degree of this in the books, but it's taken much further in the games. Interestingly, everyone but Harry seems to be able to [[OffscreenTeleportation teleport]] over the obstacle courses ubiquitous in the earlier games.
73	* ManEatingPlant: Venomous Tentacula.
74	* MediumAwareness: Harry's teachers often give him instructions like "Hold down the mouse button to aim the spell" and "Control your broom with the direction keys".
75	* MultipleTailedBeast: There are several references to the [[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Gytrash Gytrash]], which are ghostly dogs with forked tails. The gytrash is a creature in English folklore, though only the Harry Potter games describe it with a forked tail. Could be a CompositeCharacter with the Crup, which is, in the books, described as being "indistinguishable from a Yorkshire Terrier, except for its forked tail".
76	* NeverSayDie: In the earlier games Harry only "faints" if he runs out of health (which is itself referred to as his "stamina"). {{Justified}} as magic lessons wouldn't be expected to involve mortal danger. Ultimately Downplayed though as terms like "die" and "kill" ''are'' used in other situations such as when fighting Voldemort (''[[PrepareToDie Die, Potter]]!'') or as part of the narrative ("last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood girl '''died'''").
77	* NewGamePlus: The ''Sorcerer's Stone'' game for the Platform/GameBoyColor just starts over at the end of the year. You keep all your stats and wizard cards, sans all your spells if you didn't win the House Cup, meaning that you are stuck using only high level spells. This also applies to the Game Boy Color version of ''Chamber of Secrets'' and the GBA version of ''Prisoner of Azkaban''.
78	* NonDubbedGrunts: At least in first two games, when Harry jumps or climbs his grunts are same in every dub.
79	* NonIndicativeName: Fire Crabs are actually gem-encrusted '''tortoises''' that shoot flames out of their backsides.
80	* NoPeripheralVision: Downplayed with the prefects, Filch and teachers, who can generally see rather well around them. Played straight with the knights' armours, which can only see within a narrow, visible cone of vision.
81	* PlayerCharacter: You play as Harry, for the most part. In the third and fourth games, you play as Ron or Hermione at some points, but it's still mostly Harry. For the fifth game onward, you're Harry almost all the time and only play as other characters when they had a big action-y scene in the canon. For example, you get to be the Weasley twins when they cause trouble for Umbridge and Dumbledore when he fights Voldemort.
82	* PromotedToPlayable: Ron and Hermione in the GBA RPG adaptations, ''Prisoner of Azkaban'', and ''Goblet of Fire''.
83	* RecurringBoss: Peeves, oddly enough, since he wasn't in the films.
84	* ReformulatedGame: As was common with licensed games of the time coming out on as many systems as possible, each game had different versions tailored to different platforms. The first three games had separate versions for home consoles[[note]]with the first two having different versions for [=PS1=], and sixth generation consoles[[/note]], handheld consoles[[note]]again, the first two games had separate versions for Platform/GameBoyColor and Platform/GameBoyAdvance[[/note]], and PC. Starting with the fourth game they used the same version for consoles and PC while retaining (by necessity, of course) a distinct handheld version.
85	* RewardingVandalism: Played straight in most games, where shattering vases, boxes, shrubs, etc. gave you chocolate frogs, Every Flavor Beans and other goodies.
86	* RodentsOfUnusualSize: Giant rats can be encountered in the GBC and PSX games, and even feature as the occasional [[BossFight boss]].
87	* SavePoint: The "save game" books.
88	* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: Played straight for the first three games where everyone wears Hogwarts robes except at the very beginning, but averted starting with the fourth game where characters wear casual clothes.
89	* SequenceBreaking: In the first two PC games, it's possible to do this with some careful jumping. For example, the final puzzle in the "Sneak Up to the Tower" level can be completely bypassed, but at the beginning of the "Sneak Down" level the bridge has still rotated and Filch is crossing back from the other side.
90	* TakeYourTime: Ron, Hermione, and various other characters are always telling you to hurry or you'll be late for the next class. Of course, you can take forever and you'll still arrive just on time. Inverted in the first [=PC=] game at one point: no matter how quickly you go to Potions, Snape always decides you're late.
91	* TruerToTheText: Some of the games contain elements from the books that were not in the films. Most notably, the first three games include Peeves fairly prominently, despite him being AdaptedOut of the films. Considering these games were intended as film tie-ins, this is probably the unintentional result of the fact that the games and films were in production at the same time, and the game developers may not have known exactly what would and wouldn't be in the film version. Incidentally, the earlier games contain more book-only material, with the game series hewing closer and closer to the movie canon as it goes along.
92	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Not many people care about you randomly using spells for no reason. Shoot up a pot or a painting in front of some students or a teacher? Nothing. Levitate a desk or two and throw them around? Unless it's in a plot, nothing.
93	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential:
94	** In the fifth and sixth games, you can ''Wingardium Leviosa'' benches and toss them around in the air, meaning you can also throw them at people. In an interview on ''Series/LateNightWithConanOBrien'', Creator/EmmaWatson reported that her brother once vented his frustration with her by throwing benches at Hermione in the game (here's [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5076j_late-night-conan-o-brien-with-emma_webcam the clip]]).
95	** Starting with the home console games, since you have free will to cast spells. The reactions from various [=NPCs=] sure are entertaining when you Flip- their - [[{{Pun}} endos]]! Partially invoked in the [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8264196 I'm Game For That fanfiction for the first game]].
96	** In the Lego game, you can go around turning people into beetles, putting flowers on their heads, or, for giggles, if you choose to play as Voldemort, just blast everyone with Avada Kedavra.
97	** In the first two PC games, or at least the second, you can climb to the very top of the Grand Staircase and jump off, gleefully killing Harry or, if you have max health and have all the Wizard Cards, ''almost'' kill him. In the third, you can always drop Ron down "bottomless pits" (in several of them you can actually see the bottom if you just look down) or send Harry flying off the edge of ice slides. And then there are the gnomes and the imps… with the gnomes, you hex them and then throw them around (you can actually carry them around until the game gets rid of them for you if you wanted), and with the imps you [[JustifiedTrope throw exploding wizard crackers at them in the third game (previously used on you by Malfoy)]]. Also, there's Peeves.
98	* WeirdCurrency:
99	** Bertie Bott's Beans is the main currency at Hogwarts that you use to trade with Fred and George for stuff. Whose idea on the development team was it to use candy as money? It's revealed that the twins were using them to play a practical joke on Snape by burying him with beans in the first game, but it doesn't make it any less weird. And in the second and third game, the professors get in on the act by allowing students to visit a ''Bean Bonus Room''. It gets even weirder in the third game, which adds Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes into the mix.
100	** Averted in the first two GBC games and ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' on GBA, which use Sickles.
101	* YouALLLookFamiliar: The background students in the earlier games. They had one or two pairs of male and female students per house duplicated endlessly. And everyone looks like they're the same age as Harry -- older students only exist when they're named characters.

Context VideoGame / HarryPotter